Observing the life of Jesus in the gospels is often an abrupt and painful reality check, especially in our social media saturated do-anything-for-fame ministry culture. I can’t imagine Jesus being obsessed with how many people “liked” his latest pithy post or how many people “friended” or “shared” his content.
His only obsession was to please the Father. We should be likewise obsessed.
Many in church leadership today are asking if they are doing church right. This healthy questioning is necessary as culture changes quickly and the perceptions of non-Christians regarding Christians have shifted. Let me share three questions that I think all those in church leadership should be asking as we seek to be communities that love Jesus and love others.
As most of you know, last week was President Trump’s first week in office as President of the United States. Some people praised Trump’s flurry of activity as he signed numerous executive orders, setting into motion many of his major campaign promises. Others criticized (and even demonized) the new president as he began do to many of the things they feared he would do.
My emotions were mixed on Trump’s first week.
Nothing describes the state of global immigration better than the word “crisis.” More people are migrating today than at any other time in history. Migration occurs for many reasons. For some people, migration is a chance for new opportunities, education, or employment. For others, migration is driven by warfare or deep poverty. It would be foolish to think unrestricted immigration is always good. National borders exist to protect the integrity of a nation—including its security, culture, and its financial means.
God tests leaders. In the scene from Jesus’ ministry to the multitudes in John 6:4-6, Jesus asks a seemingly innocuous question to test Philip. Later in the Gospels, we learn that Philip was most likely an accountant, a man who dealt in exact numbers and precise records. When Jesus tested Philip, if we listen carefully, we can hear an unwarranted response from Philip to Jesus: “We don’t have enough money to do this…we only have two hundred denarii and besides, this is not in our budget.” What Philip did not say is, “I trust you, Master.”
Islam is a fast-growing religion, especially in the Western world. Christians increasingly need to be aware of Islam and, most importantly, how to engage its adherents with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here are 10 things I learned about Islam during my 20 years as a missionary in a Muslim-majority country.
The original disciples were called to walk and work together as a team. They were not called to be Lone Rangers for God.
"And He called the twelve TOGETHER and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal." (Luke 9:1,2)
